Things I ate

Boston, 2015

Boston, 2015

Kolkata, 2014.

Meat sauce with tagliatelle

I love pasta, any shape or form. And I am a carnivore despite my ardent love for animals. I was inspired to make this meat sauce by Rachael Ray from her cooking show, “Week in a Day”.  A lot of the meat sauces that I have read often have too much meat, meaning a combination of pork, beef and some other variation. I decided to not take route. In keeping with my eating healthy tradition (despite the fact that I have cooked ground pork here), I wanted to keep things simple, yet flavorful. Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

One whole red onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, diced

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot, diced

1 pound ground pork

1 16 ounce can of diced tomatoes with juices

Quarter of a jar of marinara sauce

1 tbsp sour cream

1 cup white wine

1 and 1/2 cups beef broth

A bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan for serving

1 pound of Spinach Tagliatelle

Method:

1. In a deep chefs pan/all purpose pan, melt butter and add olive oil.

 

2. Add the garlic, onions, carrots and add salt. Saute for 6 minutes.

3. Add the pork and cook till the meat is browned and make sure to break the meat down gradually. You may use a potato masher for the purpose.

4. Add wine, tomato and pasta sauce and stir till the sauce gets reduced. Should be around 4 minutes.

5. Season with more salt and pepper  and add chopped parsley.

6. Cook on low to medium-low heat for an hour and half till the meat sauce becomes thick.

7. Cook the tagliatelle according to package instructions and toss with meat sauce. Pretty delicious. Was a great hit tonight at my house.

Lamb Curry

I feel like lamb is an under cooked meat. It does not get the preference as chickens and beef get. It could be because of the gamey texture of the meat or for some reason that I do not know of. But what I know of is how succulent and tasty the meat can get when cooked properly. Even in India, lamb in curry form isn’t that heard of.

When we think of lamb, we think chops or rack of lamb. Don’t get me wrong, I love them both. But here I would like to share my version of lamb curry. It is so tasty that I cannot describe. Jeff loves it as well. I cannot wait to cook this for my sister and parents. So, here goes.

Ingredients:

1 pound of precut lamb stew meat cut into 1 inch cubes

4 garlic cloves, grated

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 small tomato

1 tbsp yogurt

1 tbsp sour cream

1 small white potato

2 green chillis

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Canola oil, or any high temperature cooking oil

1 bay leaf

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp meat curry powder

1 to 1 and 1/2 cups water

Method

1. Saute onions in a dutch oven till translucent. Add grated ginger and garlic cloves. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf.

2. Fry the potatoes and set aside.

3. Add the meat and brown it. Add salt. This stage is important cause you want to caramelize and flavor the meat, about 6 to 7 minutes on high heat.

4. Add turmeric, coriander and cumin seeds. Mix well. Add chopped tomatoes and chillis. Add the potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes.

5. Add garam masala, meat curry powder and mix well. Add in the sour cream and yogurt. Mix well.

6. Add about 1 and half cups water. Add more salt if needed. Cook on medium to low heat for an hour and half. I used stew meat and that requires more time to tenderize the meat. Check every 20 minutes or so. Dutch ovens are great for cooking.

7. After 1 hour and half, the meat will have become soft and the sauce will thicken, If not, you can always add a bit of flour/cornstarch  mixed with water and add that in the meat curry.

8. Done. Serve with rice or naan.

Lemony Shrimp Risotto

I’ve had mixed feelings about risotto for a long time. But, I fell in love with this recipe after I watched Giada de Laurentiis make it on her cooking show. So, I decided to do it by myself. It is based on her lemony shrimp risotto recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemony-shrimp-and-risotto-recipe.html). I tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients

1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 small fennel bulb

2 cloves of garlic, grated

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup white wine

31/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth

2 cups Arugula

1 carrot chopped

1 whole lemon, juiced

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add shrimp and cook till pink, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

2. Heat more oil to a dutch oven and add onions, garlic, fennel, carrot and saute until they are tender. Add in the rice. Stir and toast the rice.

3. Then add wine, broth, salt, lemon juice, zest, shrimp and pepper. Stir often till the rice is just tender but not soggy.

4. Add Arugula and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Serve hot in shallow bowls.

Paneer curry

I love paneer curry. It is a famous vegetarian dish from India. Its also quite popular and a highly requested item at the Bhattacharyya household in Kolkata.

After Jeff visited India and had my mom’s paneer curry, he has become a fan as well. I don’t blame him, it is truly an artistic dish. So, for those of you who aren’t quite familiar with what exactly paneer is, it is a cheese that comes in a solidified block form. Texture wise, it is similar to ricotta cheese. But some say it is similar to cottage cheese. It is pretty firm and does not melt easily. Think of it as a super firm tofu, but its WAY better than tofu. Sorry, tofu lovers 🙂

For the longest time, I could not find paneer in Corpus. But then, I discovered a Middle Eastern grocery store and I felt like I attained nirvana. So, I made the dish in consultation with my sister. She made it when I was in Boston and it was magnificent.

Ingredients:

One 14 oz. pack of paneer. I buy Gopi paneer.

1 small potato 1/2 cup of frozen peas

1/2 small onion

1 small tomato

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1 clove fresh garlic

1/2 tsp paneer curry mix

Salt to taste

Canola oil

Method

1. Cut the paneer into 1 inch cubes and fry them in canola oil till golden brown. Set aside.

2. Add more canola oil to a heavy bottomed pot and add cumin seeds till the oil becomes flavored. Then add potatoes and onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt and let them sweat out a bit. Then add the paneerback.

3. Add peas, turmeric, coriander, paneer curry mix, ginger and garlic to the mixture and cook for 10 minutes till everything is on the way of becoming soft. Add water and simmer on low for 25 minutes. Add salt if needed.

4. Serve with rice. So awesome.

Basic Guacamole Dip

This is an obligatory recipe that I felt I had to post. Living in South Texas and due to the fact that Jeff adores Mexican food and I am crazy about avocados, I decided that a basic guacamole dip required mentioning. So, here goes:

Ingredients

I avocado

1 small lime, juiced

1/2 of a small shallot

I tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, minced

1 small tomato

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Juice a small lime, mince shallots and cilantro leaves. Dice the tomato and keep all aside.

2. Spoon out the edible part of the avocado and add all ingredients in a mortar and use the pestle to grind the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. I use the mortar and pestle since I find that to be the most effective way of making this dip. I used a food processor once, not a good idea.

3. Serve with corn chips. We like blue corn chips. Enjoy!

 

Shrimp in coconut sauce (Chingri macher malai kari)

This is a magnificent dish, not just because there is shrimp but also because of the rich sauce that its cooked into. Shrimp in coconut sauce is not just my family’s favorite, but I have not met a single person from Bengal or a Bengali who doesn’t love this dish. Being held in high esteem in Bengali cuisine, normally it is served during special occasions but that is certainly not a requirement.

So, I decided to make it since I finally found some low fat coconut milk in the grocery store (trying my best to stay on top of the healthy eating regiment :). And also, because Jeff insists that I blog about it. So, here goes:

Ingredients

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (I normally buy it that way, making my job a little easier)

1 medium potato, cut in 1 inch cubes

1 medium tomato

1/2 cup low fat coconut milk

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

1/2 a small onion

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp cloves

2 fresh serrano peppers (green chilli’s)

Pinch of cardamom pods

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 of a cinnamon stick

Salt to taste

Canola oil

Method:

1. Marinate shrimp in turmeric and salt and leave it for a few minutes. Saute till shrimp is cooked (do not overcook shrimp, rubbery shrimp is not tasty). Set aside.

2. Fry the potatoes in a little oil. Set aside.

3. Add a bit more oil to a dutch oven and add cloves, cardamom pods, onions, cumin seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Saute till the spices for 2 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Add potatoes and shrimp into the sauce mixture. Add coriander and a bit more turmeric. Salt as needed. Add the chillis and grated ginger.

5. Serve with white rice.

Salmon with wild rice and veggies

My husband and I have been trying to eat healthy lately. Hence, the salmon. But we also love salmon, anyway. Even more importantly, there are so many ways of cooking a beautiful piece of salmon. You can serve it as a regular weeknight meal (which I am guilty of doing quite often) and even turn up the volume and make it an elegant entree.

The story about the wild rice is a tad bit different. In Bengal, the concept of fried rice is very popular. It is a combination of sauteed spices: coriander powder, cumin, fried onions with plain white rice. As a kid I remember when I was hesitant in eating plain rice, my mom used to mixed sauteed onions with the rice and we were completely satisfied. It was greatness. Its so delicious, and it is served with curried chicken, fish or even mutton. So, this is my healthy twist on fried rice. I just substituted plain white rice with the organic wild rice. But, you can use ANY kind of rice, even brown rice, which, is also quite healthy. I added my version of western twist with using fennel and carrots, since these are not regular ingredients that go into a fried rice in Kolkata. It turned out incredible!

Ingredients:

2 pieces of Atlantic Salmon, center cut fillets (8 oz.)

For the herb rub:

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 8 oz. package of Organic Lundbery Wild Rice

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 fennel bulb, chopped

1 small shallot, chopped

1/2 of a small red onion

2 garlic cloves

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 thin lemon slices

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the rice based on package instructions and set aside.

2. Add onions, shallots and garlic and saute in a skillet for 3 to 4 minutes. Afterwards, add in the chopped carrots, fennel and bell pepper and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, till the vegetables turn soft and are cooked enough.

2. After the veggies are cooked thoroughly, add the cooked rice to the skillet and mix well. Season, if needed.

3. Prepare the salmon rub by combining the ingredients above in a small mixing bowl. Coat both sides of the fillets well with the rub.

4. Pan fry the salmon for a few minutes till you see a crust developing.

5. After browning both sides of the fillets, put them on a baking sheet and in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15-16 minutes.

6. Serve over rice and garnish with a slice of lemon. So delicious.

 

Indian Chicken Curry (Mangshor Jhol)

Chicken curry or “mangsho” as is commonly called in Kolkata, is one of the most delicious dishes that I grew up eating. It is one of the items/dishes that many westerners identify with when they hear Indian food or Indian cuisine. Point is, its pretty famous. It is one of those “must-have” items that is usually served during any particular occasion. Of course, it is also served without any celebratory theme behind it. This dish can be made various kinds of ways and it depends on which part of India one is from. I learned the way my mother cooks it and that is what I swear by. It is a true comfort food, yet has a certain elegance and warmth attached to it. In fact, when I first started cooking for myself here in the US, it is one of the first things that I made for myself. It did not taste great at that point but it was still edible because I knew the smell and the aroma and the various spices that go along with it.

When making this dish, make sure to use bone-in pieces of chicken such as drumsticks and thighs. It won’t taste as good if you are using boneless meat. I use a combination of legs and thighs, but with this recipe I used legs only.

So, here goes:

Ingredients

5 Chicken Drumsticks

2 tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt (for the marinade)

2 small peeled tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 whole red onion

4 garlic cloves,

grated 2 tsp ginger,grated

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 small red potato

Salt to taste

1 tsp garam masala powder

2 serrano peppers, whole

Canola oil

1 cup water

1/2 cup of cilantro

1. Marinate the chicken in sour cream and lemon juice in a mixing bowl for couple of hours. You can also use yogurt instead.

2. Add 2 tbsp of canola oil in a dutch oven and add cumin seeds till they exude a warm smell. After a minute, add onions and saute with the grated garlic and ginger till the onions become translucent and start turning golden. NOTE: This is a very crucial step, this is where the flavor base starts.

3. Add the potato chunks and keep sauteing till they start turning golden brown.

4. After a couple of minutes, add the tomatoes and stir all together and you will see a  beautiful thick sauce forming.

5. Add the marinated chicken, without the marinade. Mix together everything and add the spices: turmeric, cumin, garam masala, serrano peppers and the bay leaf.

 

6. Add 1/2 cup of cilantro and a cup of water.

7. Once the chicken begins to bubble, turn it low heat and the put the lid on. Cook on slow for 45 minutes to an hour. I usually leave the lid on for an hour because it becomes so tender and juicy, its mind blowing!

8. Done! Serve with buttered rice or naan or both!

Indian-Texan fusion (Venison curry)

My husband likes hunting. And I think that he would really like it if I referred to him as a hunter, but for some reason, I don’t want to think of him that way. He is a gentle soul, really. Hunting is a passion that he developed during his late 20s. Apart from being a hobby, it counts towards bonding time with his father, who, also likes hunting. Luckily for them, they have families who own ranches in West Texas. So, each year post the New Year (which is officially hunting season), they go to my husband’s aunt’s house in Menard and enjoy a father-son bonding weekend. I accompany sometimes. Although, I have mixed feelings about hunting. I mean I am not a vegetarian and I love meat, so, I get the point of it. My father-in-law and husband try to get a deer every year but that becomes a rare occasion because it depends on various factors, such as time of the day, availability and sighting of deer in the area, etc etc. Anyway, I don’t want to bore readers with too much information about hunting because this page is about cooking the tender deer meat. So, my father-in-law got two deer last season and once it is processed, it is shared among the family in the form of hamburger meat, steaks and summer sausages. They are all quite delicious when cooked properly.

For the first recipe of the blog, I would like to share something that in my mind is good fusion of Indian spices with deer meat. I used two venison steaks. So, here goes the recipe:

Ingredients

Deer meat ( 1 pound)

Greek yogurt (1 tbsp)

Cumin seeds (1 tsp)

Coriander powder (2 tsp)

Garlic (5 cloves) minced

Fresh ginger (1 tsp) grated

Bay leaf (1)

Garam Masala (1 tsp)

Kitchen King masala (just a tad)

Cardamom seeds (1 tsp)

Ground cloves (a pinch)

Turmeric (1 tsp)

Green chilli (1 cut in half)

Green Onions/Scallion (2 to 3 chopped including both white and green parts)

Red Onions (Half of one) chopped

Tomato (1 whole), chopped

Tomato paste (2 tsp)

Beef Broth (1 cup)

Water (1 to 2 cups)

Canola oil for cooking (2 to 3 tbsp)

Salt to taste

Fresh Cilantro (1/2 cup) rough chopped

Method:

1. Cut the steaks into 1 to 2 inch cubes and set aside.

2. Chop the onions and garlic and add them to the oil in a dutch oven or a deep saute pan and cook till the onions become translucent and the garlic begins to soften.

3. Add the meat with the scallions and the green chilli and cook for 5-6 minutes till the meat develops a nice caramelization.

4. Start adding spices: turmeric, cumin, coriander, kitchen king, bay leaf, garam masala, cardamom and cloves and keep stirring so that the spice mixture coats all of the meat evenly and beautifully.

5. Add the yogurt, tomatoes ginger and salt.

6. Add broth and water and cook on low heat for an hour and half to two hours. I cooked it that long because the meat gets very tender and it removes the gamey taste from the deer.

7. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or naan. Pretty damn good.